Dark Mist
by Dawnstreak15
Summary: Lilypaw and Thistlepaw are the kits of Dawnstreak and Lionblaze. When these two apprentices learn about the Prophecy of the Mist, their lives might just change forever. Rated T just in case for later violence. Chapter 4 is up and ready!
1. Which Path Should I Take?

Me: Hi there! Ooh, my first story, I'm so excited!

Lilykit: Yay! I'm in it! Hah, beat that!

Me: You shush. Anyway, disclaimer time?

Lilykit: Dawnstreak does not own anything in the Warriors series. She only owns Lilykit, Thistlekit, Nightkit, and Rosekit.

Me: Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Has it happened? Are they here?"

"No.. she is giving birth as we speak."

Many starry figures appeared beside the original two cats. They all hovered above the pool of shimmering water, looking down to see what was taking place in the waking world. A creamy orange queen was delivering kits – the cycle of life.

"They must be the prophecized ones. We shall tell them – let them all know." A cat stood up and began padding away silently until another cat commanded him to halt. The starry cat walked through the crowd, her grayish blue fur glimmering.

"You must not get carried away. The Clans are in dire need of help, yes, and these kits may be the one," she turned and gazed at the rows of cats there, raising her voice, "But even Starclan makes mistakes! We must watch them, then make our decision."

A large white tom meowed in agreement. "You know what's best, Bluestar."

"Hah! I don't want to see my Clan fall into despair from what you say, Bluestar." This time, it was a lean tom with a long tail.

"I assure you, Tallstar, they will not sink that low. The Mist will meet its end quickly, I promise you." Bluestar's quiet, but authoritative meow echoed the clearing. "Do you think any of us want to see the Clans fall to ruin? We all sacrificed for our Clans – we did our duties. We can't do anything yet. There are the ones on the waking world that will take care of them."

"I can speak with the medicine cat." Added a beautiful tortoiseshell. Spottedleaf's eyes gleamed brightly. "I'm sure he'll understand. He's a smart cat."

Bluestar nodded as the other Starclan cats mewed their agreements. Spottedleaf raced up the path, off to do her duty as a medicine cat. The former Thunderclan leader looked upon the rest of the starry cats. The same worry and fears ran through them all. The clans were in danger of being destroyed – and only two cats could save them.

"Alright," she meowed, the others quieting immediately. "Here's how we'll do this..."

-- Five moons later --

The sun gleamed down on the green forest. It was a pleasant day, with a light breeze playing with the leaves. In the clearing, Graystripe and Brambleclaw seemed to be discussing something over a piece of freshkill. Daisy rested outside of the nursery, and Foxpaw playfully pawed a bug outside of the apprentice's den.

"Gotcha!"

The playful squeal split the quiet conversations in the clearing. Two kits rolled out and near the middle of the clearing, playfully tussling. The larger kit, a black and brown mottled kitten had pinned down a smaller, creamy orange and gray she-kit. She yowled, trying to push him off.

"Get off of me, you big lump of fur!" He backed off of her as she meowed. She rolled and stood up, shaking her fur. "You know I'm not much of a fighter."

Her brother sat down and licked his paw. "You have to be to be a warrior, Lilykit! One day, I, Thistlekit, will be the greatest warrior ever!" Lilykit snorted, flicking her tail at him.

"As if. You get scared when a leaf falls on you."

"It was huge! The size of a hawk! Didn't you see it?!"

Lilykit mewed playfully and began walking circles around her brother. "Well, it was a big leaf, but you jumped and bowled over Brambleclaw just to jump into the nursery!"

Thistlekit snorted and twitched his ears, rather embarrassed. He was saved any further embarrassment by the arrival of Daisy's two new kits, Nightkit and Rosekit. They were both two moons younger than Lilykit and Thistlekit, who were going to be apprentices very soon. The jet black kit mewed excitedly, "Can we play with a ball of moss? Please, Lilykit?"

"Why are you asking me?"

The calm sister of Nightkit meowed, "You know Jayfeather much better than the rest of us. He'd give you a ball of moss faster than he'd give us 'little kits' one."

Lilykit looked down at her paws. True, she did go into the medicine cat den much more often than the other three. Herbs and Starclan were all so interesting to her! Besides, she was on the small side, so she wouldn't be good in combat...

Shaking the thoughts away, she began padding to the medicine cat den, "Okay, I'll get us some."

She paused outside the den, listening to see if he had anyone in there. It seemed he was treating Icepaw. "Ouch, that stings!"

Stepping inside the den, she saw Jayfeather rubbing a mixture onto one of Icepaw's grazed paws. "Maybe, if you didn't jerk around so much, I could actually get it on there!" Lilykit twitched her ears at the medicine cat. He always had a sharp tongue for everyone. She quietly stepped towards Icepaw, sitting down besides the white apprentice.

"If you stay still and let him put the mixture on, your paw will feel a lot better, trust me." She glanced sideways at the white she-cat. "There's marigold in it, which should help it. Is it sore?"

Jayfeather paused his work as Icepaw murmured, "Kind of."

"How did you know marigold was in this, Lilykit?"

Lilykit looked up at Jayfeather, then back down. His unseeing gaze made her feel somewhat strange. She shuffled her paws gently. "I, uhm, I smelled the marigold in the treatment. I remembered what you told me about the rocks, and how they make pads rough and sore. You also told me that marigold is soft and effective on sore pads."

Jayfeather said nothing else, but continued placing the mixture onto Icepaw's pad. Lilykit again shuffled her paws and asked, "Is it okay if I borrow a ball of moss to play with."

"You know where it is." Was his simple reply. She bounded over to the storage of moss, grabbed a bit in her teeth, and exited the den. Returning to her friends, she balled up the moss and rolled it over to Thistlekit. He gave her a confused look.

"Aren't you going to play?" He mewed.

Lilykit shook her head, "No, I think I'm going to go take a small nap. I'll play later."

Slowly making her way to the nursery, she sighed. _There's something about being a warrior that I don't quite want. I don't want to cause injuries – I want to heal them.. I want to understand Starclan and use their power to help my Clan_, she thought, gazing into the nursery blankly. _And to do that... I have to become a medicine cat._

Me: I like it so far! Even though we haven't gotten anywhere -sweatdrop-. But please, send me nice reviews! I like comments! Oh, and if you decide to flame me, I shall use it to roast marshmellows to make smores! Yay!

Lilykit: Please review, for the sake of Dawnstreak!


	2. Small Secret

Me: Okay, I noticed that I put Rosekit as Nightkit's sister. I made a namechange.. Rosekit is actually Amberkit! Didn't see that one coming, did you?

Lilykit: I don't want a namechange! I like my warrior/medicine cat name!

Me: Then be a good little apprentice and don't stress anyone out too much.

Lilykit: -mutter cough- Dawnstreak doesn't own Warriors, only Lilykit, Thistlekit, Nightkit, Amberkit, and Dawnstreak.

Me: And with that, here's chappy two! Enjoy!

Chapter 2

"I can't believe it! We're going to be apprentices tomorrow!" Thistlekit paced in front of the nursery excitedly. Lilykit sat in a comfortable patch of moss.

"Yeah, no more games, taking care of the elders," Lilykit rolled her blue eyes. "Oh, joy."

Thistlekit bounced in front of her. "I wonder who our mentors are going to be. I want Brambleclaw!"

"Firestar picks our mentors, mousebrain!" But, as she spoke, she glanced at the medicine cat den. "Hey, Thistlekit, do you think medicine cats are cool?"

Her brother followed her gaze. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, they talk to Starclan, but they're always stuck in their dens, patching up scratches." He wrinkled his nose. "I feel sorry for Jayfeather. Not only is he stuck being a medicine cat, but he's blind, too!"

"He's probably stuck there because of that."

One of their denmates, Nightkit, padded out and walked towards the two. Her emerald eyes glimmered lightly. "I guess there'll be a lot less noise and more space now." She meowed, crouching down. For once, Nightkit's eyes were filled with sadness as she gazed up at her two denmates. "Amberkit is always so quiet. I'm going to miss you two!"

Thistlekit purred as he playfully tackled Nightkit. She mewed, surprised, finding herself pinned on the ground. He lowered his muzzle to her ear, whispering, "I'm going to miss you too, you small lump of fur."

He backed off of her. She hopped up and shook the dust out of her pelt, then gave Thistlekit a mock glare. "Then again, maybe I won't."

Lilykit purred. "We'll still be close. And we'll visit you often."

"Until you guys are apprentices, too!" Thistlekit added. "Aren't you excited?"

Nightkit bounced excitedly, as if she were going to become an apprentice tomorrow herself. "Oh, I can't wait! Then I won't be trapped with 'goody goody' in there!"

The three of them continued talking until Amberkit came out. When she did, though, Lilykit slipped into a crack between the nursery and the rock wall, fetching the ball of moss and playing around with the other three. Since it was her last day as a kit, she would participate in whatever they threw at her. Toadpaw, Nightkit and Amberkit's older brother, joined in, and was soon tackled by the kits.

"Okay, okay, get off of me!" When the kits finally stopped attacking his ears, he shook his pelt and gazed at them. "Well, Thistlekit, Lilykit, I guess you're going to be joining the apprentice den soon."

Thistlekit nodded eagerly. "You better prepare our beds for us!"

Toadpaw purred, then turned away, throwing over his shoulder, "I'll tell Rosepaw your request!"

------

Lilykit turned over for what seemed the one hundredth time that night. Sitting up, she blinked at her brother, then the other two kits, curled up beside their mother. She pricked her ears for any sign that a cat was awake outside. No – Birchfall was the only one, guarding their entrance tonight.

Now was her only chance. She had to... otherwise, she would be called out in front of the whole clan as a warrior apprentice. Lightly stepping past the sleeping cats in the den, she padded outside. The stars shone brightly in the sky, as if Starclan was approving what she was about to do.

She quickly made her way to the medicine cat den. Pausing outside of the entrance, she pondered what she would be gaining – and losing. _I'll gain the knowledge of herbs and the way to heal cats. I'll learn about Starclan, our warrior ancestors. But I'll also be drifting farther from my friends, who are going to take a different path than I. And I'll never be able to have kits..._

Bracing herself, she raced through the entrance, her heart pounding in her ears. She skidded to a stop right in front of Jayfeather's nest, waking him up in the process. "What's going on?" He asked hoarsely, having just woken up.

"I-I want to become a medicine cat!"

Jayfeather blinked his blue eyes, now fully alert. He scrambled up and stretched before sitting back down and gazing down at her – even though he couldn't see. "A medicine cat apprentice, huh? I knew it.."

"Knew what?"

He shook his head, "Nothing." Crouching down, his blue eyes bore into hers. "Medicine cats have very different life styles than warriors. Think about your choice, Lilykit. You'll hardly ever be in battles, you'll be in here most of the time, and you will see blood and treat the ill and injured. Are you sure that's the life you want?"

Taking a deep breath, she meowed, "Yes. I have thought about it, Jayfeather. I want to share tongues with Starclan! I want to memorize every herb, so that I can be as useful to my clan as possible! I want to heal and treat injured and sick cats!" Lilykit puffed her chest out, her paws itching.

Jayfeather purred loudly, then stood up again. "Well, then, I'll talk to Firestar first thing in the morning. You'll be called out and given your apprentice name, but you'll still have to be accepted by Starclan at the halfmoon. For now, though, go back to sleep. You have a big day ahead of you."

Lilykit's eyes glowed as she scrambled out of the den and back into her nest, breathing rather heavily. She was going to be a medicine cat apprentice! Her heart beat frantically, trying to catch up with her. She felt as if she could fly!

"Lilykit? What are you doing up?" Lilykit turned around quickly. The soft voice of her mother, Dawnstreak, reminded her that she was in the middle of a bunch of sleeping kits.

"Sorry! I-I just couldn't sleep. I'm so excited!" She mewed quietly, settling down in her nest. Tomorrow, her nest would be vacant. It was her last night sleeping in it.

Dawnstreak purred gently. "You have an exciting day tomorrow, yes," her mother gave her a quick lick on her head. "But you should be prepared for it. Sleep now, my dear little one."

Lilykit rested her feathery tail over her nose. Tomorrow, it would be announced it front of the whole clan... she would be the next medicine cat.

--- ---

"Lilykit! Lilykit, wake up! It's almost time!!"

Thistlekit was making small gouges in the earth with his claws. His pelt almost shone. Apparently, mother was excited, too.

"I'm up, I'm up!" She meowed, scrambling to her paws and shaking a scrap of moss from her fur. Quickly licking her shoulders and running a paw over her muzzle, she tried to clean herself up. _I haven't told anyone about my apprenticeship. Not even Thistlekit knows._ Suddenly, her eyes widened. What if Firestar refused making her a medicine cat apprentice? What if he condemned her to be a warrior apprentice, fighting and wounding other cats?!

Shivering once, she stepped out into the day. Thistlekit was crouching down and hopping up, shaking with excitement. In front of him was their mother and father, Dawnstreak and Lionblaze. Padding over to them, she waved her tail in greeting.

"Oh, Lilykit, you must've rolled over in dust! Look at you!" Dawnstreak waved her tail around her daughter, suddenly covering her in licks. Squirming, Lilykit finally was able to break free from her mother. She turned to her father, suddenly nervous. Lionblaze was one of the best fighters in Thunderclan, and he could be somewhat intimidating sometimes.

"My two kits are going to become apprentices. I remember when I was one – the adventures I had back then!" He purred, flicking both of his kits gently with his tail. Thistlekit's eyes lit up.

"So we're going to have adventures, too?"

"Some of them will be challenging, though."

He lashed his tail. "Try me! I'll fight a badger to prove myself to my clan!"

Lionblaze gave him a quick lick on an ear. "Don't go and get into things you can't dig yourself out of." A faraway look came into his eyes, and he looked as if he were now somewhere else instead of talking to his son and daughter. Lilykit had always wondered what made her father have such looks – what adventures did he have when he was younger?

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Firestar's yowl echoed through the camp. Cats from the separate dens made their way under the Highledge. Thistlekit stood up, as high as he could, and began walking to the Highledge. He was going to be an apprentice!

Lilykit padded beside her brother. Anxiety gnawed at her stomach. As they weaved through the crowd of cats, she thought over and over again what her brother's reaction may be – he had always wanted them to train together, hunt together, and do patrols side by side. They came to a stop on the edge of Highledge, sitting down and looking up at the fiery cat that stood at the top. Lilykit could almost taste her brother's happiness as she wrapped her tail around her paws as neatly as she could.

"This is a proud day for Thunderclan. As we gain more apprentices, we are showing that Thunderclan will survive and remain strong." He beckoned for Thistlekit. Thistlekit stood up, barely controlling his energy. He came to a stop in front of Firestar, standing up tall. His brown and black pelt almost glowed in the sunlight.

"Thistlekit, from now on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Thistlepaw." Lilykit noticed how his eyes gleamed brightly.

Turning to face the cats again, he called out to the clan. "Hollyleaf, come forward." The black she-cat bounded up to the Highledge quickly. "You are ready for an apprentice, so you will be Thistlepaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your wisdom and strength to Thistlepaw, and teach him the skills that will make him a brave warrior of Thunderclan."

Hollyleaf and Thistlepaw turned to each other. Mentor and apprentice quickly touched noses, and waves of excitement coursed through Thistlepaw. Turning back to the clan, cheers went through them. "Thistlepaw! Thistlepaw! Thistlepaw!"

Thistlepaw padded down the Highledge, stopping by the other apprentices. Rosepaw and Toadpaw greeted him warmly, Icepaw and Foxpaw congratulating him. Firestar waited until the noise died down before beckoning to the crowd. The cats parted to let one cat get through – Lilykit realized it was Jayfeather. So, was it true? She really was going to become a medicine cat!

"Cats of Thunderclan," Jayfeather began as he stopped at the bottom of Highledge, near Lilykit. "It is time I took an apprentice of my own. I have chosen a cat for her fondness of herbs and her closeness to Starclan." He raised his voice a little. "Your next medicine cat shall be Lilypaw."

Firestar turned to her. "Lilypaw, do you accept the post of apprenticeship to Jayfeather?"

"Yes, Firestar." Lilypaw meowed breathlessly.

"Then at halfmoon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats." Jayfeather recited.

"The good wishes of all Thunderclan go with you, Lilypaw." Firestar's emerald eyes sparkled slightly.

Jayfeather padded up to his new apprentice, gently placing his muzzle out. Lilypaw reached her nose up to his, and mentor and apprentice were bound.

Lilypaw gazed out at the clan. They began cheering as well. "Lilypaw! Lilypaw! Lilypaw!"

Only one stuttered slightly, shocked. Lilypaw gazed at her brother as her brother watched her, deep amber eyes piercing. She could easily read the message within them.

_Why didn't you tell me?_

--- ---

Me: Wow! -sniffle- My little kits are growing up so fast!

Lilypaw: ... It's only our apprenticeship. I haven't even gone to the Moonpool yet!

Me: In short time.. short time. You may have noticed, but I didn't add many clan cat names. This is in the future, so some of them might have died in battle or of sickness.. and then, some I can't remember the names (like Millie's kits, it's bothering me). Also, I tried as best I could on the ceremonies!

Lilypaw: Despite her flaws, Dawnstreak would absolutely love you forever if you reviewed! Go on, the button is right there!!


	3. Explorations and Explanations

Me: To Fantasy Forest – thank you for pointing that out. Now that I think about it, cats really wouldn't be using the word cool. I guess I'm going to have to take it out of their vocabulary! Also, thank you so much for the reviews! They give me warm feelings and an incentive to continue!

Lilypaw: Do I get to go to the Moonpool yet?

Me: Soon, my young apprentice.. soon. First, though, comes this chapter!

Lilypaw: -sigh- Dawnstreak doesn't own Warriors. She only owns the mentioned cats in the last two chapters..

Me: And also, sorry for taking so long! A month or two just flies by, doesn't it? Glad I'm on Spring Break, which means I can write much more! So, please enjoy!

Chapter 3

Thistlepaw stared at his sister, blankly mewing her new apprentice name. She.. she wasn't going to be a warrior, like him. Instead, she was going to take the medicine cat path – which was opposite of the warrior path!

As the crowd dispersed and the cats went back to their original jobs, he looked down at his paws. Lilypaw could've at least _told_ him! Fury rose inside of him, as disgusting as mouse bile. She just crushed some of his dreams in the most hurtful way!

Soft pawsteps bounded quickly to him, and he looked up. His new mentor, Hollyleaf, stood there, a soft glow in her eyes. Thistlepaw remembered vaguely that he was her first apprentice – she might try to prove herself by keeping him busy.

"Thistlepaw, why don't we start? Usually, apprentices start by taking a tour of the borders and our territory."

Thistlepaw pointed his ears towards the camp entrance, or, in his case, exit. His paws itched to explore the Thunderclan territory. "Okay, Hollyleaf."

The she-cat nodded. "We'll start in just a moment. I want a word with Brackenfur first." Hollyleaf padded away, and Thistlepaw glanced at her retreating figure before turning his gaze toward the medicine cat den. Jayfeather had just entered the den, and Lilypaw was hesitating at the entrance, flicking her ears before turning and looking at her brother. Thistlepaw's fur stood on end suddenly, his pelt hot. She took deliberately slow steps before arriving in front of him.

"Listen, I'm really sorry, I wan-" She was cut off by his low hiss.

"Don't give me excuses! I thought you wanted to become a warrior apprentice with me! We could've done so much!" His eyes blazed.

Lilypaw crouched down, gazing up at her brother with momentarily wary eyes. "I wanted to tell you. I only made the decision last night! I couldn't tell you this morning," she blinked. "You were too happy."

He stood up, claws unsheathing. "What am I now?" He hissed.

Lilypaw suddenly looked like a helpless kit in front of him. She flinched, her ears straight back, head close to the ground. Realization hit him.. he should have understood a long time ago. His sister always went into the medicine cat den, had always been close to the herbs. When Amberkit had gotten a nasty cough, she had been the one to get the right herbs. Jayfeather had followed her, a look of understanding in his blue eyes.

She had always been on the edge of the medicine cat path, and Thistlepaw had just never realized it.

He sat down, his claws sheathed and his ears drooping slightly. "You should get to your duties. I understand, it's just hard for me to accept."

Lilypaw looked up at her brother. "Thank you, Thistlepaw. I'm sure you'll be happier once you go out into the forest." Her eyes took on a gleam. "Can you come back and tell me what it's like? I probably won't go out until tomorrow." She snorted.

Giving her a quick lick, he muttered, "Sure. I'll tell you everything."

At that exact moment, Hollyleaf called out, "Thistlepaw! Let's go!" from the entrance. Lilypaw bounded away towards the medicine cat den as he raced to his mentor.

The forest was amazing. The trees were huge, way bigger than he thought they were. The grass felt springy under his paws, soft and welcoming, and the plants were different shades of green, lush and leafy. They went at a slow pace, Hollyleaf pointing out different things like the abandoned Twoleg nest and and an odd hole in the ground. "Tell me what you can smell," Hollyleaf ordered. Thistlepaw opened his jaws slightly, tasting the air.

"It's a weird scent." He sneezed, ruining his concentration, but he continued his report. "It smells really bad. And it's stale." Thistlepaw looked up at his mentor as she purred.

"This is an abandoned fox den. That scent you smell is fox, but they haven't been here for a long time. That's why the scent is stale." She explained, then they continued their trek. At the borders, Hollyleaf pointed out the different scents of the Clans. Riverclan was rather hard to explain, since they were the farthest clan from Thunderclan.

To Thistlepaw, learning about where the Clans were and where everything was in their territory was boring. He wanted to learn how to hunt! He wanted to learn battle moves so that he could become the best warrior ever!

Unfortunately, those thoughts reminded him of his sibling. He would never be able to battle or hunt beside her. She would always be in the medicine cat den, barely ever able to spare time to talk to him. At least they would be where they wanted to be, even if they were on separate paths.

"Are you ready to go back to the camp?" Hollyleaf stirred him out of his thoughts. Only then did he realize that the sun was a large orb on the horizon, slowly sinking. He felt worn out from travelling everywhere. Obviously he would have to build his stamina up.

"Yes, please! I'm really tired." Thistlepaw mewed. Hollyleaf purred in amusement, then led the way through the forest back to the camp. Had they really been out most of the day? As they went through the camp entrance, he looked for his sister. He spotted Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Sandstorm all gathered by the Highledge. Birchfall and Whitewing were sharing tongues by the warrior den, and Icepaw and Foxpaw were mock battling by the apprentice's den. Suddenly intrigued by this, Thistlepaw bounded over to them.

Foxpaw had his sister pinned to the ground, but not for long. She pushed him off with her hindlegs, quickly rolling over as she did so and knocking him off his paws. She stood up and launched herself toward him, but he quickly jumped up and dodged her. Thistlpaw broke in excitedly, "Wow! How long did it take you two to become so good?"

They stopped playing at looked at the newest member of the apprentices. "Not very long. We were just going over the basics. I think we're going to become warriors soon," Icepaw sighed lightly.

"Well, a lot of things have gotten in the way of a warrior ceremony," Foxpaw meowed. "I know it's soon, though!"

Thistlepaw scraped his claws over the ground. Now that he was an apprentice, it would take him a long time to get to warrior status. But he would achieve it! And become the greatest warrior ever!!

"Thistlepaw! I need you to go swap out moss for the elder's bedding. Some fresh moss," Hollyleaf padded up to him. "And make sure it's completely dry. How about the two of you show him how to collect the moss from the trees? That'll keep you off your tails." She flicked her tail at the three apprentices before padding off to join Lionblaze. Foxpaw stood up irritably.

"We're going to be warriors soon! Why do we always have to do the mousebrained duties?" He meowed, annoyed. Icepaw flicked him on the nose with her tail.

"Do you have bees in your brain? We're not warriors _yet_. Besides, Thistlepaw needs to know how to get the moss."

Foxpaw let his ears droop. "Alright, alright. Let's just go," he meowed lowly, and stood up and padded toward the entrance. Icepaw followed, beckoning Thistpaw to follow her.

--- ---

"...so now all you have to do is memorize each of them and what they are used for..."

Lilypaw nodded, watching Jayfeather intently. "And when it is best to use them." He finished. Lilypaw blinked. It was going to take some time to memorize all of this information. Her paws tingled suddenly. Still, it was going to be fun!

Her mentor seemed to sense this. "Being a medicine cat takes devotion and time," he meowed sharply. "You may see a cat die right in front of your eyes, and there's nothing you can do about it." Lilypaw crouched down; she had an eerie feeling, as if he could actually see her. "Being a medicine cat isn't a game."

"I understand, Jayfeather," she mewed. "Can you tell me more about Starclan? Do they give everyone visions?! Oh, wait, or do they just give you visions? Since I'm just an apprentice..."

He flicked his ears. "Starclan..." he muttered under his breath, so low that Lilypaw had to strain to hear him. "Not everyone gets visions from our warrior ancestors. Usually, only medicine cats and leaders get them. Rarely, if it's vitally important, does a warrior or apprentice get a sign."

"Does that include me?" She inquired, tipping her head slightly.

"No, it doesn't," he meowed. "You'll get visions, too, just as often as I do," to Lilypaw, though, he sounded skeptical. "And you should come to me as soon as you get them."

Lilypaw opened her mouth to speak again when there was a bout of noise outside of the den. Both mentor and apprentice pushed themselves outside of the den to see what the commotion was about. Lilypaw froze when she saw the patrol enter the clearing.

In between Thornclaw and Hazeltail hobbled Cloudtail, the best tracker in the Clan... though he could be a really annoying furball, too. Brightheart gave a distressed meow as she and some of the other cats surrounded the patrol. "What happened?!"

"Shadowclan decided they'd try and accuse us of going across their border!" He spat angrily, holding one of his forepaws up. "One of the mousebrained manges attacked me while I was defending us!"

"Try to remember who leapt first, Cloudtail," Thornclaw meowed while Brightheart urgently began licking his wound. Jayfeather then pushed himself in between the group of cats.

"Alright, give me some room!" He growled, causing them to widen out a bit. Soft meows floated through the band of them as he sniffed the wound. "The scratch isn't deep, but just in case, we don't want it to get infected," he meowed. "Follow me." And Jayfeather led Cloudtail into the medicine cat den. Lilypaw sat there indecisively, wondering if she should go and try to help or let her mentor do his job, when a new meow cut through the chatter.

"What happened?" Firestar padded among the group of cats to come to a stop in front of Thornclaw and Hazeltail. The other Clan members grew silent.

"We were marking the border between Thunderclan and Shadowclan when Hazeltail saw a mouse. It went over the border before she could catch it, but she stopped a few foxtails before the border. At that same time, a Shadowclan patrol saw her and tried to accuse her of trying to steal prey." Thornclaw explained.

"I stopped though!" Hazeltail defended herself. "And then Cloudtail challenged them to prove it, so they began to make false accusations between each other, when one of them got dangerously close to the border and Cloudtail overreacted and tackled him..."

"But we pulled him off before he could do any damage, and we apologized and quickly left," Thornclaw finished off. The others sat there, looking to Firestar to see what he would do. He was silent for a moment before the tip of his tail twitched.

"Let's hope they don't take it too seriously. As for Cloudtail, I'll have a talk with him when Jayfeather is done treating him," the leader meowed. "Thank you for ending the fight before it got too vicious."

The two cats bowed before Firestar signaled the Clan back to their duties and went back to his den, Brambleclaw following him.

"But what if they do take it seriously?" Lilypaw asked to no one in particular. She shivered. The clans wouldn't fight over a small incident such as this, right? Padding over to the fresh kill pile, she picked out a vole and a thrush for herself and Jayfeather, then began to carry them back to the den. _I also wonder how Thistlepaw is doing! I hope he had fun, exploring the territory and all._

Who knew what destiny had in store for the clan? One cat did... but for now, the destiny would keep itself hidden, watching the two new, young apprentices as they slowly got closer to what they were made for.

--- ---

Me: Yay! Chapter 3 done! And I promise, next chapter will have some action in it to motivate me!

Lilypaw: ... Moonpool?!

Me: Not yet! I mean, how does 'action' and 'Moonpool' mix?

Lilypaw: Fine. I guess I'll just wait.. -grumbles-

Me: Please review! I enjoy reading your feedback!


	4. The Mist and the Border

Me: Well, chapter three was a big success to me, and now I feel like writing more! Yay! My incentive comes and goes like the weather here in the southern parts of the US! Anyway, to those that reviewed: (first of all, thank you for enjoying it!)

Tenno/Tennotsukai: Thanks for reading! And you are a great writer, you just need to work on your handwriting!

Hollyleaf123: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! For the prologue thing, I meant to make it that way.. I'm weird like that! And about amber.. Uhm, we'll pretend they do? It WAS originally Rosekit, then I went back and read that there already was a Rosekit. Oh well! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Lilypaw: Dawnstreak doesn't own Warriors, only the cats mentioned in the previous chapters, and Mist. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Thistlepaw stalked the leaf carefully, keeping himself tucked close to the ground. Stepping forward slowly, he advanced on the leaf...

And suddenly, a breeze took it into the air. The apprentice made a mad dash to catch it, jumping high in the air, but it was too late. The leaf was flying higher and higher in the trees. Thistlepaw flicked his tail. "Mouse dung! And I had it, too!"

"Why don't you practice on actual prey?" Briarpaw came up behind him, her eyes glowing. She was quite a few moons older than Thistlepaw, and already knew how to hunt and the basic fighting moves. Thistlepaw flicked his ears as Hollyleaf followed Briarpaw, watching over the two apprentices. "That's how I perfected my hunting skills," Briarpaw added.

"They aren't perfect! Toadpaw said you broke a twig when stalking a vole a few sunrises ago!" Thistlepaw meowed loudly. Hollyleaf whacked her tail against his muzzle to warn him.

"If you aren't quiet, you'll scare all the prey from here to the Abandoned twoleg nest." She meowed softly. "Now, Briarpaw, why don't you hunt in that direction," she signaled through a few trees with an ear, "and Thistlepaw, you try going that way." His mentor signaled the opposite direction. He nodded and quickly padded off in that direction.

The wind picked up again, but this time it was to his advantage. The wind blew to him, carrying the prey's scent towards him. Thistlepaw tasted the air and found a mouse foraging by the root of a tree. He could barely contain his excitement! His first kill! Lowering himself into the hunter's crouch, he snuck forward like Hollyleaf had shown him. Paw, paw, pause, paw paw, pause...

Now he was within range of leaping and killing the prey. He readied himself, the anticipation shining in his eyes...

But what he didn't notice were the pair of blue eyes in the bushes opposite of him. Before he could pounce, a flash of grey appeared before him, so fast that it was a blur. And suddenly, the mouse was dead at the paws of another cat.

Thistlpaw bristled angrily at the intruder. "Hey! That was my kill!" He snarled, until it dawned on him – intruder!

Hissing, he crouched down again, hostility in his gaze. "You're not Thunderclan! You're -" Wait. There wasn't the scent of another clan on this cat... did that mean she was a rogue? Or a loner?

"I'm not here to pick a fight," the tabby she-cat meowed. "I'm sorry, but you were taking forever, so I decided to go ahead and put the poor thing out of its misery." Her ice blue eyes glinted as she licked a forepaw to show she wasn't interested in fighting. Thistlepaw watched her curiously.

"Do you belong to a Clan?" He asked, tipping his head to the side as she washed herself. She stopped and looked at him carefully.

"No. No, I don't. I guess I'm a 'loner', or whatever you cats call them. Where I came from, we were called roamers. And I'm guessing you're a Thunderclan cat?" She purred slightly. Thistlepaw snorted.

"The best Clan there is!" He meowed proudly, sitting up taller. Then he took her into notice. She was a sleek tabby she-cat with pretty blue eyes. Her tail was curled neatly over her paws and her fur grey fur shone brightly in the sun. Thistlepaw noticed that she was very pretty, then shook his head. "Anyway, what is your name?"

"Mine is Mist. And yours?"

"Mine's Thistlepaw! I'm a new apprentice." He mewed. Suddenly, the bushes rustled behind him and out stepped Hollyleaf, Briarpaw right behind her.

"Thistlepaw, we should head ba-" She stopped and her fur bristled when her eyes landed on Mist. "Who are you?" She hissed angrily.

"Don't worry, I'm not a threat or anything. Just passing through." The tabby she-cat quickly explained. Hollyleaf stared at her suspiciously, then noticed the mouse at her paws.

"Oh, and I'm assuming that mouse was just there when you came along? Prey-stealing isn't allowed, even to loners or kittypets!" She glared at Thistlepaw. "Why didn't you call for me?" But before he could explain, Hollyleaf walked over to Mist. "You're coming with us to explain to our leader what you're doing stealing prey in our territory."

"But isn't that a little harsh? She was just passing through." Briarpaw defended the newcomer. Hollyleaf flicked her tail, then an indecisive look came upon her face. Mist stood up quickly.

"No, please, take me to the Thunderclan leader. I'd like to apologize for stealing. I didn't know." She mewed, watching Hollyleaf. Thistlepaw noticed that Mist must've been around his age or maybe a moon or two older. _If I were a loner and had been caught prey-stealing, I would be so scared!_

"Alright," Hollyleaf glanced at Mist warily, and she signaled for the apprentices to begin heading back to camp. They both placed themselves on either side of Mist, with Hollyleaf behind them. Thistlepaw bounced slightly.

"Aren't you scared because you're going to see a leader? I would be. Firestar can be a little scary." He admitted. Mist glanced at him and flicked her ears. Thistlepaw continued, "But he usually understands cats outside of the clans. That's part of what makes him a great leader... I think."

"Ouch!" Mist stopped suddenly, holding up a paw and stumbling a bit. The three Clan cats stopped and peered at her curiously. She held up the paw and sniffed it. "I think I stepped on a thorn," she mewed. "It hurts..."

"Then we should probably get you to the camp before it gets infected," Briarpaw meowed, resting her tail tip on Mist's shoulder. "I've had that happen to me before, and it really does hurt." Hollyleaf pushed them onward though, but they were slowed down by the limping loner. By the time they finally reached the entrance, Hollyleaf hesitated.

"I suppose I'll just go get Firestar while you take her to the medicine cat den. Before we go in, what's your name, loner?" She asked, her ears twitching. Thistlepaw realized that Briarpaw and Hollyleaf hadn't heard Mist's name.

"It's Mist," she meowed quietly. Thistlepaw's mentor nodded.

"Well, let Thistlepaw take you to the medicine cat's den. Briarpaw, come with me to tell Firestar," Hollyleaf bounded into the tunnel, followed by Briarpaw. Thistlepaw urged Mist onward, making a beeline to the medicine cat den to try to avoid as much attention as possible.

--- ---

Lilypaw looked over their inventory, sniffing each herb to make sure which ones were still safe to use. Usually, the herbs just stayed fresh in their spots, but the berries would sometimes rot. Well, there was nothing suspicious.

"What's the best treatment for bellyaches?" Her mentor asked her while sorting some herbs. Lilypaw thought it over for a moment.

"Juniper Berries."

"What is marigold used for?"

"To treat infections and heal wounds," Lilypaw replied almost instantly, proud of herself for remembering. They had been working on the basic herbs for a few sunrises now. She curled her tail neatly over her paws and waited for the next question, but Jayfeather merely continued sorting.

"What's in that space right there?" He stopped to place a paw near a group of herbs. Lilypaw froze, sniffing gently at the herbs. Oh, she knew what they were!... What were they again?

"B-borage leaves?" She mewed nervously, and felt crushed when Jayfeather shook his head.

"Those are daisy leaves," he meowed, "but don't feel bad about it. You did remember the first few that I showed you." Lilypaw nodded and thought, _well, you can't get them all right._

"Jayfeather!" A loud meow erupted from right outside the den. Jayfeather narrowed his eyes as Lilypaw let out a small squeak. It was her brother! But who was with him? She didn't recognize the scent... maybe it was a cat from a different Clan? Riverclan, maybe? But the scent didn't carry the smell of fish. Odd.

"Come in," her mentor responded, the tip of his tail twitching. Thistlepaw and the other cat stepped in. She was a beautiful tabby she-cat with a sleek pelt and ice blue eyes. "And who is this?"

"This is Mist," Thistlepaw explained. "She was hunting in our territory when I found her. She's a loner. That's Jayfeather, our medicine cat, and my sister, Lilypaw. She's Jayfeather's apprentice." Thistlepaw's eyes gleamed when he looked at his sister, and Lilypaw remembered that they hadn't talked to each other in a while.

The medicine cat muttered under his breath angrily and signaled with his ears for the she-cat to sit down. "What exactly is wrong with you?"

Mist held up a paw. "I got a thorn stuck in my pad. It's really painful," she meowed.

"I know," Jayfeather snorted. He inspected it, then placed his teeth gently around the thorn – then jerked back, taking the thorn with him. Mist mewed loudly, looking at her paw in distress. "Okay, now clean it -"

"Jayfeather! Can you come check Longtail? His pelt is really hot," Mousefur interrupted, barging into the den. The medicine cat unsheathed his claws in aggravation, then quickly sheathed them and took a few of the feverfew stems and a poppy seed.

"Continue checking up on her for me, Lilypaw," Jayfeather ordered before padding out of the den. Mist was rasping her paw over the wound, and Lilypaw sighed and bent to check it.

"It doesn't smell infected; and it's not bleeding very much," she meowed, checking their storage for the right herb. She pulled it out and sniffed it carefully. "This one's marigold, perfect! Here, rub this on your paw, and it should start feeling better." She ordered. Mist obeyed and began pressing it against the wound. Lilypaw glowed with pride. She had treated her first patient!

Another cat entered the medicine cat den. "So, where is this loner?" the addition asked. Lilypaw gazed up at Firestar, slightly awestruck. The sun was hitting his pelt through the den just right to where it looked like her leader was on fire. She flicked her tail over to the loner, Mist.

"Hmm. Greetings, young one. From what I've heard, you were caught with prey in Thunderclan territory." Firestar's green eyes narrowed, but he allowed Mist to explain.

"I-I didn't know this was a cat's territory. I was just passing through and I was hungry, so I just hunted. I didn't know that it belonged to any cat." She meowed, her voice rising slightly. Firestar seemed to think for a moment.

Nodding, he said, "I can understand. You don't know or live by the warrior code. However, you should've smelled the scent markings before you entered the forest. Didn't you?"

Mist bowed her head shamefully. "Yes," she squeaked slightly.

Firestar opened his mouth to say something else, when the pounding of pawsteps came closer and Brambleclaw – followed by Sorreltail and Spiderleg – skidded to a halt before the leader. "Firestar!" Brambleclaw panted. They each looked out of breath and worried. "It-it's Shadowclan! They're gathered at the border and they look ready to attack!"

The leader's eyes widened and he dashed out into the clearing. Lilypaw and Thistlepaw watched each other, frozen, as the sounds of a group of cats leaving the camp echoed through the clearing and into the den.

"What does that mean..?" Mist asked, her meow barely above a whisper. Thistlepaw stood up and ran out of the den, leaving the two she-cats behind. Lilypaw turned to her quickly.

"It means there's going to be a battle! Thistlepaw, wait!" She ran out of the den, but couldn't see her littermate. Had he left already? Was he going to join the battle?

Suddenly, the feeling of vertigo hit and she struggled to stay on her paws. _The mist... the mist..._ Lilypaw gasped and stared at the ground. The voice echoed through her head eerily. _The mist.._ The medicine cat apprentice crouched down, breathing deeply as the voice subsided. The mist? What was it talking about? Looking backwards at the medicine cat den, she wondered if it meant about Mist.

--- ---

Meanwhile, Thistlepaw was racing through the forest. He had learned a few of the basic moves for an apprentice – and besides, his Clan needed him! Sounds of fighting entered his hearing range, and his ears twitched. He skidded to a halt on the outskirts of the fight. _So, is that what Shadowclan looks like?_ He prepared himself, bunching his hind legs up before charging into the midst of the border fight.

--- ---

Me: Uh-oh! Thistlepaw is being a little reckless!

Lilypaw: And what's this about the mist? I don't understand!

Me: Oh, you will in time! Muahaha! I need some help from my readers, though – I have a good medicine cat name picked out for Lilypaw, but I need a warrior name for Thistlepaw! It has to be unique, too.. -ponders- And I do realize I made Hollyleaf a bit OOC in this chapter. I'll try not to do it again, I promise!

Lilypaw: Anyway, please review! And look forward to chapter 5!


End file.
